LONDON and CAMBRIDGE, England, September 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Invoke Capital, a technology fund vehicle dedicated to unlocking the potential of European technology, has made its first investment in Darktrace, a cyber security company that offers a new approach to cyber defense based on ground-breaking mathematical research out of the University of Cambridge.  

Invoke is a new type of technology investor that combines a deep understanding of technology with financial, commercial and marketing expertise to turn fundamental ideas into real world products, and help them scale. 

"We are delighted to announce our first investment in a genuinely innovative company, in such a critical area as cyber security," commented Dr Mike Lynch, founder of Invoke Capital. "Darktrace brings a radically different solution to the challenge of protecting our information in today's environment of cyber-threat. It is an inherently mathematical approach that does not seek to block information flow, but rather understand it, in all its practical complexity and subtlety."

Based on a breakthrough in mathematical research and development at the University of Cambridge, Darktrace's revolutionary technology is anchored on a new branch of Recursive Bayesian Estimation theory. The founders of UK-based Darktrace have a combined seventy years' experience in cyber operations, working with governments, military forces and private companies across the world to keep citizens and critical national infrastructures safe.

Darktrace begins with the premise that a network has already been infiltrated - and that some of the risk might come from a company's own employees. Legacy technologies have focused on protecting assets through a virtual version of putting locks on all the doors and windows, but that is no longer viable in an interconnected world without stifling commercial operations.

Steve Huxter, managing director of Darktrace, said, "The threat to companies and institutions from cyber espionage, hacking and cyber-crime is real and growing, and needs a sophisticated approach. Our combination of fundamental behavioural technology and expertise in cyber operations at the highest level, means that we offer a solution to the number one agenda item of boardrooms everywhere. This is something that Mike Lynch and the team at Invoke Capital have recognised and we are really pleased to have secured their support."

About Invoke Capital 

Invoke Capital Partners was founded by Dr Mike Lynch, members of the senior management team from Autonomy, and a group of technology experts, with access to $1bn in capital. Invoke is focused on maximizing the potential of European fundamental technology by using its unique expertise and repositioning experience to rapidly scale them across multiple markets. It is the only investment team in Europe with a dedicated, in-house R&D division, based in Cambridge, UK. The Invoke team has grown multiple technology businesses with particular expertise and experience in science and technology allowing them to identify and develop core technologies in areas including genomics, security, pattern recognition, signal processing and big data. http://www.invokecapital.com

About Darktrace

Darktrace, the leader in intelligence-led Behavioural Cyber Defense, uses advanced mathematics to automatically detect abnormal behavior in organizations in order manage risks from cyber-attacks. Unlike software that reads log files or puts locks on doors, Darktrace's approach allows enterprises to protect their information and intellectual property from state sponsored, criminal groups or malicious employees whom are already inside the networks of every critical infrastructure company. Darktrace combines decades of government cyber threat expertise with world-leading University of Cambridge mathematicians, and software engineers who have experience deploying the largest, most sensitive software. http://www.darktrace.com

SOURCE Invoke Capital